Dear Neighbors,
We’re less than a week from spring officially starting. While the seasons are transitioning outside the Capitol, there has been plenty of action the Capitol too. This is some of what we have been working on:
Veterans Day on the Hill
First, a big thank you to everyone who visited the Capitol on Monday for Veterans Day on the Hill. This year’s focus was on helping surviving spouses keep their homes, stopping predatory lending against veterans’ benefits, and increasing access to the outdoors for disabled vets. It was great to see so many Veterans and advocates working to make sure their voices are heard.
Dayton’s Final State of the State
On Wednesday night, Governor Dayton gave his final State of the State address. The speech was a reminder that when we invest in Minnesotans and build on what we value as a state, we can achieve a whole lot. In the past eight years we’ve gone from deficits and borrowing money from our schools to surpluses and record investments that have made Minnesota the best state in the country.
#1 Best Run State - USA Today
#1 Best State to Retire - AARP
#1 Best State for Women - Wallet Hub
#2 Best State for Families - Wallet Hub
#2 Strongest State - POLITICO
#2 Best State Overall - U.S. News & World Report
#3 Best State for Business - CNBC
#4 America’s Goals for 2030 State Report Card - Future Now
Every Minnesotan deserves an opportunity to succeed, and we can only make that a reality by continuing to invest in the things that make life better for all of us. I also really appreciated Governor Dayton’s commitment to protecting our water. This isn’t a problem that happened overnight and there isn’t one solution to ensuring we have a sustainable and safe water supply for future generations.
White Bear Lake Senior at the Capitol
Ryan Hall, a senior at White Bear Lake high school, is spending his spring break shadowing me at the Capitol. Frankly, I am impressed that anyone would spend vacation time learning about the legislature.
Ryan participated in our high school legislative page program a year ago and decided that he wanted to learn more. He is great to have around and I have no doubt he has an impressive future in front of him.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with any thoughts, questions, or concerns.
Sincerely,
Peter Fischer
State Representative